“A Modest Proposal” Essay Essay

Word choice gives Swift artillery to create satire in â€Å"A Modest Proposal†. In â€Å"A Modest Proposal†, Swift uses several different words to create satire, one of which is the word ‘breeders’. He uses the term breeders in reference to the women. In several paragraphs he talks about these breeders and their role. â€Å"I calculate there may be about 200,000 couples whose wives are breeders;†(Swift 2) The way that he refers to the women as breeders instead of mothers, wives or women creates satire. Instead of talking about them he talks about what they do. Or what they are supposed to do. This makes good artillery because referring to the women as breeders gives them a significant role and satire is created because instead of being known as women and mothers they are now breeders. In beginning his proposal Swift uses the word ‘scheme’ before he gets into too much detail about what he has in mind. This word is an excellent word to use to start off. â€Å"As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors†(Swift 1) Scheme meaning â€Å"A systematic plan of action† very well describes the plan that is later laid out by swift to solve the issues he talks about. â€Å"There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme†.(Swift 1) He immediately explains how his scheme will â€Å"prevent voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children†.(Swift 1,2) It’s ironic how he says that then a little bit further down he says: â€Å"I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or broiled†.(Swift 2) It’s pure satire to not abort the child so that they can be eaten at the age of one, don’t murder them before they’re born, wait a year. The word scheme makes excellent artillery as it is used to signify that the plan that Swift has is a clever plan and wasn’t just thought up over night. He also uses the word advantage throughout the text. â€Å"There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme†.(Swift 1) â€Å"Many other advantages might be enumerated.†(Swift 3) The word disadvantage cannot be found. Therefore  everyone has something to gain from the proposal and nothing will be lost. The word advantage is definite artillery, especially if you’re one of the wealthy people. They have nothing to loose and Swifts’ Proposal would benefit them entirely. It also creates satire; as for those who are not wealthy there is not an advantage except for only having to live in poverty for a shorter period of time, being able to contribute to society and for the general public, less beggars and homeless on the streets. Therefore the streets are cleaner, less hectic, not as crowded and just plain better. Works Cited Swift, Jonathon â€Å"A Modest Proposal† 75 Reading plue ed. Santi V. Buscemi, Charlotte Smith. McGraw-Hill. USA, 2000. www.dictionary.com

Product Life Cycle Theory

The product life cycle theory is used to comprehend and analyze various maturity stages of products and industries. Product innovation and diffusion influence long-term patterns of international trade. This term product life cycle was used for the first time in 1965, by Theodore Levitt in an Harvard Business Review article: â€Å"Exploit the Product Life Cycle†. Anything that satisfies a consumer's need is called a ‘product'. It may be a tangible product (clothes, crockery, cars, house, gadgets) or an intangible service (banking, health care, hotel service, airline service).Irrespective of the kind of product, all products introduced into the market undergo a common life cycle. To understand what this product life cycle theory is all about, let us have a quick look at its definition. Product Life Cycle Definition A product life cycle refers to the time period between the launch of a product into the market till it is finally withdrawn. In a nut shell, product life cycle or PLC is an odyssey from new and innovative to old and outdated! This cycle is split into four different stages which encompass the product's journey from its entry to exit from the market. Product Life Cycle StagesThis cycle is based on the all familiar biological life cycle, wherein a seed is planted (introduction stage), germinates (growth stage), sends out roots in the ground and shoots with branches and leaves against gravity, thereby maturing into an adult (maturity stage). As the plant lives its life and nears old age, it shrivels up, shrinks and dies out (decline stage). Similarly, a product also has a life cycle of its own. A product's entry or launching phase into the market corresponds to the introduction stage. As the product gains popularity and wins the trust of consumers it begins to grow.Further, with increasing sales, the product captures enough market share and gets stable in the market. This is called the maturity stage. However, after some time, the product gets overpowered by latest technological developments and entry of superior competitors in the market. Soon the product becomes obsolete and needs to be withdrawn from the market. This is the decline phase. This was the crux of a product life cycle theory and the graph of a product's life cycle looks like a bell-shaped curve. Let us delve more into this management theory. Introduction Stage After conducting thorough market research, the company develops its product.Once the product is ready, a test market is carried out to check the viability of the product in the actual market, before it can set foot into the mass market. Results of the test market are used to make correction if any and then launched into the market with various promotional strategies. Since the product has just been introduced, growth observed is very slight, market size is small and marketing cost are steep (promotional cost, costs of setting up distribution channels). Thus, introduction stage is an awareness creatin g stage and is not associated with profits!However, strict vigilance is required to ensure that the product enters the growth stage. Identifying hindering factors and nipping them off at the bud stage is crucial for the product's future. If corrections cannot be made or are impractical, the marketer withdraws the product from the market. Read more on types of market research. Growth Stage Once the introductory stage goes as per expected, the initial spark has been set, however, the fire has to be kindled by proper care. The marketer has managed to gain consumers attention and now works on increasing their product's market share.As output increases, economies of scale is seen and better prices come about, conducing to profits in this stage. The marketer maintains the quality and features of the product (may add additional features) and seek brand building. The aim here is to coax consumers to prefer and choose this product rather than those sold by competitors. As sales increase dist ribution channels are added and the product is marketed to a broader audience. Thus, rapid sales and profits are characteristics of this stage. Read more on marketing tools. Maturity StageThis stage views the most competition as different companies struggle to maintain their respective market shares. The cliche ‘survival of the fittest' is applicable here. Companies are busy monitoring product's value by the consumers and its sales generation. Most of the profits are made in this stage and research costs are minimum. Any research conducted will be confined to product enhancement and improvement alone. Since consumers are aware of the product, promotional and advertising costs will also be lower. In the midst of stiff competition, companies may even reduce their prices in response to the tough times.The maturity stage is the stabilizing stage, wherein sales are high, but their pace is slow, however, brand loyalty develops imparting profits. Read more on marketing plans. Decline Stage After a period of stable growth, the revenue generated from sales of the product starts dipping due to market saturation, stiff competition and latest technological developments. The consumer loses interest in this product and begins to seek other options. This stage is characterized by shrinking market share, dwindling product popularity and plummeting profits. This stage is a very delicate stage and needs to be handled wisely.The type of response contributes to the future of the product. The company needs to take special efforts to raise the product's popularity in the market once again, by either reducing cost of the product, tapping new markets or withdrawing the product. Read more on: †¢Marketing Services †¢Marketing Mix †¢Marketing Tips It is important to note that, not all products go through the entire life cycle. Just as how not all seeds sown germinate, not all products launched into the market succeed. Some flop at the introductory stage, while some fail to capture market share due to quick fizzling out.Moreover, some marketers quickly change strategies when the product reaches decline phase and by various promotional strategies regain the lost glory, thereby achieving cyclic maturity phases. Application of product life cycle is important to marketers because via this analysis they can manage their product well and prevent it from incurring losses. A well-managed product life cycle leads to rise in profits and does not necessarily end. Product innovations, new marketing strategies,etc. keeps the product appealing to customers for a very long period of time.Hope this article on product life cycle theory was informative and helpful! The product life-cycle theory is an economic theory that was developed by Raymond Vernon in response to the failure of the Heckscher-Ohlin model to explain the observed pattern of international trade. The theory suggests that early in a product's life-cycle all the parts and labor associated with that product come from the area in which it was invented. After the product becomes adopted and used in the world markets, production gradually moves away from the point of origin.In some situations, the product becomes an item that is imported by its original country of invention. [1] A commonly used example of this is the invention, growth and production of the personal computer with respect to the United States. The model applies to labor-saving and capital-using products that (at least at first) cater to high-income groups. In the new product stage, the product is produced and consumed in the US; no export trade occurs. In the maturing product stage, mass-production techniques are developed and foreign demand (in developed countries) expands; the US now exports the product to other developed countries.In the standardized product stage, production moves to developing countries, which then export the product to developed countries. The model demonstrates dynamic comparative advantage. The country that has the comparative advantage in the production of the product changes from the innovating (developed) country to the developing countries. Contents [hide] †¢1 Product life-cycle o1. 1 Stage 1: Introduction o1. 2 Stage 2: Growth o1. 3 Stage 3: Maturity o1. 4 Stage 4: Saturation o1. 5 Stage 5: Decline †¢2 References [edit]Product life-cycle There are four stages in a product's life cycle: introduction ?growth ?maturity ?saturation ?decline The location of production depends on the stage of the cycle. [edit]Stage 1: Introduction New products are introduced to meet local (i. e. , national) needs, and new products are first exported to similar countries, countries with similar needs, preferences, and incomes. If we also presume similar evolutionary patterns for all countries, then products are introduced in the most advanced nations. (E. g. , the IBM PCs were produced in the US and spread quickly throughout the industrialized countries. ) [edit]Stage 2: Growt hA copy product is produced elsewhere and introduced in the home country (and elsewhere) to capture growth in the home market. This moves production to other countries, usually on the basis of cost of production. (E. g. , the clones of the early IBM PCs were not produced in the US. ) The Period till the the Maturity Stage is known as the Saturation Period. [edit]Stage 3: Maturity The industry contracts and concentrates — the lowest cost producer wins here. (E. g. , the many clones of the PC are made almost entirely in lowest cost locations. ) [edit]Stage 4: Saturation This is a period of stability.The sales of the product reach the peak and there is no further possibility to increase it. this stage is characterised by:  ¦ Saturation of sales (at the early part of this stage sales remain stable then it starts falling).  ¦ It continues till substitutes enter into the market.  ¦ Marketer must try to develop new and alternative uses of product. [edit]Stage 5: Decline Poor c ountries constitute the only markets for the product. Therefore almost all declining products are produced in developing countries. (E. g. , PCs are a very poor example here, mainly because there is weak demand for computers in developing countries.A better example is textiles. ) Note that a particular firm or industry (in a country) stays in a market by adapting what they make and sell, i. e. , by riding the waves. For example, approximately 80% of the revenues of H-P are from products they did not sell five years ago. the profits go back to the host old country. ?†¦ trade theory holding that a company will begin by exporting its product and later undertake foreign direct investment as the product moves through its lifecycle ? As products mature, both location of sales and optimal production changes ?Affects the direction and flow of imports and exports ?Globalization and integration of the economy makes this theory less valid ?Trade implication ? ?Increased emphasis on techno logy’s impact on product cost ? Explained international investment ?Limitations ?Most appropriate for technology-based products ?Some products not easily characterized by stages of maturity ? Most relevant to products produced through mass production Marketing > Product Life Cycle The Product Life Cycle A product's life cycle (PLC) can be divided into several stages characterized by the revenue generated by the product.If a curve is drawn showing product revenue over time, it may take one of many different shapes, an example of which is shown below: Product Life Cycle Curve The life cycle concept may apply to a brand or to a category of product. Its duration may be as short as a few months for a fad item or a century or more for product categories such as the gasoline-powered automobile. Product development is the incubation stage of the product life cycle. There are no sales and the firm prepares to introduce the product. As the product progresses through its life cycle, changes in the marketing mix usually are equired in order to adjust to the evolving challenges and opportunities. Introduction Stage When the product is introduced, sales will be low until customers become aware of the product and its benefits. Some firms may announce their product before it is introduced, but such announcements also alert competitors and remove the element of surprise. Advertising costs typically are high during this stage in order to rapidly increase customer awareness of the product and to target the early adopters. During the introductory stage the firm is likely to incur additional costs associated with the initial distribution of the product.These higher costs coupled with a low sales volume usually make the introduction stage a period of negative profits. During the introduction stage, the primary goal is to establish a market and build primary demand for the product class. The following are some of the marketing mix implications of the introduction stage: â € ¢Product – one or few products, relatively undifferentiated †¢Price – Generally high, assuming a skim pricing strategy for a high profit margin as the early adopters buy the product and the firm seeks to recoup development costs quickly.In some cases a penetration pricing strategy is used and introductory prices are set low to gain market share rapidly. †¢Distribution – Distribution is selective and scattered as the firm commences implementation of the distribution plan. †¢Promotion – Promotion is aimed at building brand awareness. Samples or trial incentives may be directed toward early adopters. The introductory promotion also is intended to convince potential resellers to carry the product. Growth Stage The growth stage is a period of rapid revenue growth.Sales increase as more customers become aware of the product and its benefits and additional market segments are targeted. Once the product has been proven a success and customers b egin asking for it, sales will increase further as more retailers become interested in carrying it. The marketing team may expand the distribution at this point. When competitors enter the market, often during the later part of the growth stage, there may be price competition and/or increased promotional costs in order to convince consumers that the firm's product is better than that of the competition.During the growth stage, the goal is to gain consumer preference and increase sales. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: †¢Product – New product features and packaging options; improvement of product quality. †¢Price – Maintained at a high level if demand is high, or reduced to capture additional customers. †¢Distribution – Distribution becomes more intensive. Trade discounts are minimal if resellers show a strong interest in the product. †¢Promotion – Increased advertising to build brand preference. Maturity Stage The maturity stage is the most profitable.While sales continue to increase into this stage, they do so at a slower pace. Because brand awareness is strong, advertising expenditures will be reduced. Competition may result in decreased market share and/or prices. The competing products may be very similar at this point, increasing the difficulty of differentiating the product. The firm places effort into encouraging competitors' customers to switch, increasing usage per customer, and converting non-users into customers. Sales promotions may be offered to encourage retailers to give the product more shelf space over competing products.During the maturity stage, the primary goal is to maintain market share and extend the product life cycle. Marketing mix decisions may include: †¢Product – Modifications are made and features are added in order to differentiate the product from competing products that may have been introduced. †¢Price – Possible price reductions in response to competition while avoiding a price war. †¢Distribution – New distribution channels and incentives to resellers in order to avoid losing shelf space. †¢Promotion – Emphasis on differentiation and building of brand loyalty. Incentives to get competitors' customers to switch.Decline Stage Eventually sales begin to decline as the market becomes saturated, the product becomes technologically obsolete, or customer tastes change. If the product has developed brand loyalty, the profitability may be maintained longer. Unit costs may increase with the declining production volumes and eventually no more profit can be made. During the decline phase, the firm generally has three options: †¢Maintain the product in hopes that competitors will exit. Reduce costs and find new uses for the product. †¢Harvest it, reducing marketing support and coasting along until no more profit can be made. Discontinue the product when no more profit can be made or there is a succes sor product. The marketing mix may be modified as follows: †¢Product – The number of products in the product line may be reduced. Rejuvenate surviving products to make them look new again. †¢Price – Prices may be lowered to liquidate inventory of discontinued products. Prices may be maintained for continued products serving a niche market. †¢Distribution – Distribution becomes more selective. Channels that no longer are profitable are phased out. †¢Promotion – Expenditures are lower and aimed at reinforcing the brand image for continued products.Limitations of the Product Life Cycle Concept The term â€Å"life cycle† implies a well-defined life cycle as observed in living organisms, but products do not have such a predictable life and the specific life cycle curves followed by different products vary substantially. Consequently, the life cycle concept is not well-suited for the forecasting of product sales. Furthermore, critics have argued that the product life cycle may become self-fulfilling. For example, if sales peak and then decline, managers may conclude that the product is in the decline phase and therefore cut the advertising budget, thus precipitating a further decline.Nonetheless, the product life cycle concept helps marketing managers to plan alternate marketing strategies to address the challenges that their products are likely to face. It also is useful for monitoring sales results over time and comparing them to those of products having a similar life cycle. Marketing > Product LifecycleThe Product Cycle and its Implications Let us begin by reviewing Vernon’s principal points regarding the technological and geographical transitions of industries. His product-cycle paradigm suggested that an industry’s competitiveness will go through a predictable series of stages: To begin with, U.S. -controlled enterprises generate new products and processes in response to the high per capit a income and the relative availability of productive factors in the United States; they introduce these products or processes abroad through exports; when their export position is threatened they establish overseas subsidiaries to exploit what remains of their advantage; they retain their oligopolistic advantage for a period of time, then lose it as the basis for the original lead is completely eroded. (1971: 66)While Vernon’s main objective was to explain the causes and consequences of foreign investment, the stages that he identified also implied that an industry’s perspective on trade policyComment on Deardorff 2 will evolve. Industries can be expected to favor open markets when they are competitive and to favor protection when they are not. Deardorff’s analysis is largely consonant with this cycle, but brings into closer consideration the role of developing countries’ exports in challenging the developed countries’ industries.While I am largely in agreement with the basic points raised by both Vernon and Deardorff, I would suggest two adjustments. The first is that a different policy question may be in order. To paraphrase, Deardorff’s question seems to be, â€Å"Will developed countries respond to increased competition from developing countries by erecting new barriers to trade? † I would instead ask, â€Å"How will the interests of declining industries in developed countries affect the pace and form of new trade liberalization? † While I understand the usefulness of the simplifying assumption that the two countries in the model â€Å"are initially engaged in free trade† (ibid. 3), I think it is equally simple and more realistic to begin with the assumption that restrictions to trade already exist. It would be a great exaggeration to claim that the WTO rules are so watertight as to prevent countries from imposing any new restrictions on trade, but I would quarrel with the suggestion that we â €Å"simply assume that [increased import competition will] lead the North to implement a tariff on imports† (ibid. : 9). The track record for both legislated protection 1 and safeguards cases 2 suggests that protectionist industries have had little success in winning support from government.The clear trend of the past half century has been towards the reduction of tariffs and (more recently) the replacement or elimination of quotas. In an environment of declining tariff barriers, the best that most protectionist industries can hope for is to secure a pledge that their products be exempted from reductions. Even when one acknowledges the continuation of â€Å"peak† tariffs in some industries and the mischief that can be done with antidumping duties and other instruments of protection, the fact remains that markets are much more open today than they were in decades past.Moreover, the rules are more comprehensive and enforceable under the WTO than they were under the GATT. The second important departure is that the range of options is not limited to a dichotomous choice between â€Å"free trade† or â€Å"protection. † Beyond the almost trivial point that there are many degrees of openness, representing every step from zero barriers to confiscatory levels of protection, discrimination is an equally important consideration. Here the rules of the GATT and WTO have been permissive.Free trade agreements (FTAs) and customs unions are allowable exceptions to the general rule of universal most-favored-nation treatment (provided that they meet the requirements of GATT Article XXIV), and preferential trade programs such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) are granted waivers. While each of these options provide for more liberal trade, and many extend special treatment to developing countries, they are widely seen as a â€Å"second-best† alternative to nondiscriminatory liberalization.For reasons that I explore below, however, th e increasing use of these discriminatory instruments can also be portrayed as a natural consequence of the product cycle. 1 Although there have been many efforts since the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act of 1930 to enact bills imposing tariffs or quotas on imports, no major bills have been enacted over a presidential veto. There have been several instances, however, in which presidents felt obliged to make concessions to protectionist demands in order to win congressional approval of some other market-opening initiative (especially new grants of negotiating authority or the approval of a trade agreement).In other words, some of the rare steps backward have been price for making two steps forward. 2 Petitioners have succeeded in winning import protection in only 23 of the 70 cases considered in the quarter century since enactment of the current safeguards law (section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974). Comment on Deardorff 3 Implications of the Product Cycle for Trade Policy The product-cycle mo del could be used to explain any one of three approaches to trade policy.Depending on how one views the interests of firms and the responses of government, the cycle could be predicted to encourage more open markets, more protection, or more discrimination. Under the benign view that seems implicit in Vernon’s analysis, the product cycle can be portrayed as a progressive mechanism. A country with an efficient process of â€Å"creative destruction† could theoretically sustain a permanent free-trade orientation, with few or no exceptions for specific industries.Vernon’s views were similar to those of Schumpeter (1936), who believed that a combination of entrepreneurial innovation and periodic depressions provided just such an engine of progress. A real free-trading country would regularly produce a new crop of innovators, while firms that lost their competitiveness would either find new lines of work or be swept away when the business cycle swung downward. The sur vivors favor open markets. This Darwinian optimism is challenged, however, if firms and workers in a declining industry refuse to go quietly into that good night.A more pessimistic interpretation is that old firms and their workers do not always conveniently disappear or get reabsorbed into the economy, but instead seek ways to keep alive even after they pass their prime. Deardorff’s analysis falls into this second category. He concludes that factor owners in the developed country will respond to a competitive challenge by demanding and receiving protection. I offer yet a third alternative, in which the product cycle encourages the reduction of trade barriers but does so in an increasingly discriminatory fashion.My adaptation of Vernon’s model, which is illustrated in Figure 1, departs from the original in two ways. First, I believe that a wider range of stages should be represented in the model. Second, I more explicitly state what the trade (in addition to the invest ment) preferences of an industry will be as it passes through these stages. My adaptation recognizes that the policy options available to industries and countries are not limited to opening or closing the market, but also allow for discriminatory initiatives that better lend themselves to manipulation on behalf of specific firms or trading partners.The stages might respectively be termed pre-competitive, semi-competitive, competitive, and post-competitive. The distinctions between industries in stages 2, 3, and 4A are particularly important. Each one of these stages is â€Å"pro-trade,† but they favor different emphases in both the objectives and form of trade agreements. Only the Stage 3A industry is the pure free-trader. Industries in stages 2, 3B, and 4A each take a more qualified approach to open markets, and may be reluctant to support universal liberalization.An industry’s most critical choice comes in the fourth stage, when it must choose between retreat into th e domestic market or relocation of its production offshore. The initial decision to invest overseas might have been made in an earlier stage, prompted by such diverse objectives as gaining or maintaining access to a large and protected foreign market, taking advantage of lower wage rates and less restrictive regulatory environments, or reducing transportation costs. When an industry’s competitiveness declines, however, it could decide to shift most or all of its production offshore.Those firms that become multinational producers (Stage 4A) acquire interests and preferences very different from those that do not (Stage 4B). A multinational producer will be much more favorably disposed towards open markets than a â€Å"mature† domestic industry, but will not inevitably be a paragon of free-trade purism. These producers may perceive a strong incentive to support discriminatory options, especially if they create sanctuary markets at home or abroad. Home | About | Privacy | Reprints | Terms of UseCopyright  © 2002-2010 NetMBA. com. All rights reserved. This web site is operated by the Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc. Search NetMBA Site Information Home About Privacy Reprints Terms of Use Marketing Accounting Economics Finance Management Marketing Operations Statistics Strategy ? ?In recent years an extensive theoretical literature has been offered examining the implications of the product cycle (PC) model of trade (Hirsch 1967; Vernon 1966). 1) Emphasizing knowledge transfers, Krugman (1979) constructed a general equilibrium model consisting of an innovating North country and an imitating South country. (2) A key implication of the PC is that the North must continually innovate in the face of the South's ability to eventually imitate each new product. The flying-geese (FG) theory (inter alia, Akamatsu, 1935; Kojima, 2000, 2003; Ozawa, 1993, 2001, 2005) elaborates on the mature stage of the PC by examining conditions un der which an initially imitating South country itself looses the comparative advantage in producing the mature product due to rising labor costs.The loss in comparative advantage results in the further and sequential transfer of production to less developed other South countries and the accompanying recycling of the North's import market among themselves, a phenomenon that can be called â€Å"market or comparative advantage recycling† (Ozawa, 1993; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 1995). ?This article specifically examines one particular mature PC import, TV sets, in the U. S. arket and its changing pattern of exporting economies from East Asia–first, from Japan and then from the Newly Industrializing Economies (NIEs) (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea), from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-4 (ASEAN-4) (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines), and more recently, from China. ?True, technological progress continues in the TV set industry (e. g. , digitalization, flat-panel sets, and high definition TV [HDTV]), but set manufacturing has practically disappeared in the United States (Chandler, 2001).Incremental innovations are now being introduced mostly in the South/follower countries themselves, especially in Japan and South Korea. East Asia has emerged as the world's largest concentration of consumer electronics production. (3) In this sense, TV sets are certainly a â€Å"mature† product for the United States (too mature to be retained). In short, our study examines the phenomenon of PC-based imports and market recycling as witnessed in the United States and explores policy implications for both North and South countries in the age of globalization. There have been several tests for the existence of the PC. Tsurumi and Tsurumi (1980) found support for the PC by determining that the U. S. price elasticity of demand for color TV sets increased over time as U. S. consumers chose between dome stic- and Japanese-produced color TV sets. Audretsch (1987) also found support by determining that growth industries tend to be more R ; D oriented while mature industries allocate fewer resources to this activity.Cantwell (1995) concluded that over time the share of patents of multinational corporations located abroad increased for most countries from 1920 to 1990, which supported the internationalization of investment by technological leaders. Gagnon and Rose (1995) found that a trade surplus (deficit) of a commodity is likely to persist over a long period of time, a trend that is counter to the PC and more consistent with factor proportions theory (which closely parallels the FG theory). ?Econometric tests for the FG theory have been limited.Dowling and Cheang (2000) found support for the FG theory by utilizing both Balassa's â€Å"revealed† comparative advantage index and foreign direct investment (FDI) ratios for East Asian countries. Using Spearman rank correlation coef ficients and examining three periods (1970-95, 1970-85, and 1985-95), they found that economic development trickled down from Japan to the NIEs and then to ASEAN-4. Cutler et al. (2003) analyzed labor-intensive trade data from Japan, the NIEs, the ASEAN-4, and China to the United States and found support for the FG theory (market recycling). In this article, we are interested in testing for the dynamics of the combined PC-FG framework. Using annual data from 1961 to 2002 for TV sets, we use cointegration techniques to estimate a system of multiple cointegrated vectors representing the sequential transfer of the U. S. TV import market from Japan to the NIEs, to the ASEAN-4, and finally to China. We develop a methodology of interpreting both the cointegrating vectors and the speeds of adjustment as a technique to test for the recycling of the U. S. import market among the East Asian economies.We argue that our analysis has implications for the emerging HDTV and flat-panel TV sets' mar kets as well as patterns of behavior in lower developed South countries such as China, Vietnam, and India as these countries are actively pursuing inward FDI in higher value-added industries. ?Section II presents the theoretical framework, and section III provides the data and background information about the region's TV set manufacturing. Section IV discusses the empirical techniques and results of the analysis. Section V touches on policy implications and offers conclusions. ?II.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ?Electronics is an R & D-based industry where new products and processes are constantly innovated and competitiveness shifts from one product to another sequentially, an industry that is characterized by short PCs. The Schumpeterian concept of â€Å"creative destruction† aptly applies to innovators' home markets. A fast pace of technological standardization and maturity for a given new product leads to an equally swift outward shift of production from the innovators' (North) cou ntry to overseas, as conceptualized in the PC theory of trade and investment.In the early developmental phase of electronics, the United States was the dominant source of innovations, as seen in the original PC theory (Hirsch, 1967; Vernon, 1966), but other countries in Europe and East Asia also soon emerged as active innovators, as presented in the revised version (Vernon, 1979). Nonetheless, the United States still continues to play the major roles of both technology and market providers to East Asian economies.Yet, as described in the original PC theory, conventional TV sets and many other mature electronic products have followed the typical pattern of a sequence from U. S. domestic production to exports, to overseas production, and to imports. (4) These imports come mostly from East Asia. ?What is equally interesting is that once an electronic product becomes a mature â€Å"commodity,† whose competitiveness is basically determined by labor costs, its production shifts fro m one South country to another in the persistent search of lower cost labor.This development is facilitated especially when lower echelon South countries liberalize their trade and investment regimes so as to attract production from higher developed South countries. Such a successive transmigration of production of a standardized product therefore exhibits a changing pattern of production over time within the South countries, while the United States remains the major import market.This phenomenon of production transmigration down the intraregional hierarchy of South countries differentiated in terms of the stages of economic development and the levels of technological sophistication is captured in the FG model. ?Viewed in the above light, the PC theory and the FG model complement each other, as schematically illustrated in Figure 1. A new product is innovated first in a high-income (high-wage) country like the United States and initially manufactured and exported from the innovator' s home country (i. e. , the â€Å"introduction† and â€Å"growth† stages, from †¦ ?

Literature Review on Business Ethics Essay

Abstract A review of the current literature regarding business ethics was conducted analyzing scholarly peer-reviewed articles about business ethics and their relation to leadership, managerial decision making, corporate social responsibility and overall corporate structure. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Organizations are expected by their stakeholders to implement strong ethics within their corporate structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Using these guidelines will help organizations overcome the various challenges allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in in creased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. The review of the literature reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review: Outline 1) Title Page 2) Abstract 3) Introduction a) Introduction to business ethics and why it is important in current literature. b) Themes present in literature (Thesis) Definition of ethics Ethical leadership Formal structures and regulations Benefits of business ethics 4) Overview of Business Ethics a) Definition of Ethics b) Types of Ethics i) Individualistic ii) Corporate/Business Ethics c) Managerial Ethics i) Relationship Between Laws and Ethical Standards ii) Ethical Decision Making d) Corporate Social Responsibility 5) Implementing Business Ethics Through Leadership a) Values-Based and Ethical Leadership i) Need for Value-Based/Ethical Leaders ii) Characteristics of Values-Based/Ethical Leaders iii) Role of Ethical Leadership in Business Ethics 6) Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems a) Codes of ethics b) Programs and other policies to enforce ethical behaviors 7) Benefits of Ethical Organizations Employee Satisfaction/Productivity Increased Profits Social Status Sustainability 8) Conclusion and Recommendations Needs to be more exploration in the topic of ethical leadership Focus on understanding how ethical leadership influences corporate culture and how it flows down the corporate structure Research should attempt to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review Ethics, and particularly the role it should play in business, continues to be a topic of hot discussion in today’s society. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Over the past few decades many successful, prominent companies have collapsed due to corporate scandals, which resulted not only in the loss of jobs of many employees, but also led to large financial losses of thousands of shareholders. This cascading effect of unethical behavior by company executives led to increased expectations from all stakeholders of an organization. Stakeholders, who include employees, investors, shareholders, and customers, expect organizations to do more than just maximize the bottom line profit; organizational management is expected to accomplish this goal both legally and ethically, while also implementing some sort of program or policy that seeks to benefit society or the environm ent at large. Companies are expected to implement ethics within their organizational structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures, and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Following the implemented ethical procedures and guidelines will help organizations overcome the various ethical dilemmas and challenges, allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in increased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. A review of the current literature regarding business ethics reveals that am emphasis is placed on defining and understanding business ethics, understanding how ethical leadership is used to implement ethics into an organization, identifying how ethics are integrated into the organizational structural, and finally reviewing the benefits of operating an ethical business. Overview of Business Ethics Ethics is a complex construct. One must first understand what ethics is before understanding the important role it plays in business and leadership. The current literature offers many different definitions for ethics, which will be explored, as well as the various types of ethics and their  integrations with organizational management and policies. Definition of Ethics Merriam-Webster (2014) defines ethics as â€Å"rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.† People have varying concepts of what is considered right or wrong or good and bad. For this reason, ethics becomes difficult to define and comply with (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). Oates and Dalmau (2013) define ethics as â€Å"the body of knowledge that deals with the study of universal principles that determine right from wrong† (p. 38). Racelis (2010) further explains that ethics is different from morality in that while morality deals with the principles of right and wrong in general, ethics focuses on the standards of conduct that are generally acceptable to a large group. Therefore, it is important to note, that ethical behavior focuses on what is good for others rather than on what is good for oneself. Mihelic, Lipicnik, and Tekavcic (2010) add to this definition noting that â€Å"ethical behavior is both legally and morally acceptable to the larger community† (p. 32). Business ethics, therefore; is a branch of applied ethics as it relates to the various business activities of human beings (Keller-Krawczyk, 2010). Being able to understand and implement good ethical principles into the business setting is key to developing a strong organizational culture nurtured by ethical principles. Types of Ethics Many times when people speak or write about ethics they refer to one of two types, individual ethics and/or organizational (group) ethics. Scholars have studied both types of ethics in an attempt to understand how individual and organizational ethics intertwine and connect with one another. Accurately interpreting the relationship between the two is crucial to understanding how strong ethical values could be successfully instilled into an organization’s environment. Individualistic ethics. The concept of right and wrong is something that is instilled in individuals from the time of their birth. Individuals may learn what it right and wrong from their parents, teachers, religious  education, or life experiences. They then take what they learn and create their own personal values which help to shape and develop their individual sense of ethics. Elango, Paul, Kundu, and Paudel (2010) explain the various research works that supports the argument that an individual’s personal values and ethical standards are the main driver of a person’s intention to practice ethical behavior. The authors explain that there is strong evidence to support the theory linking an individual’s attitude toward a behavior to the actual behavior of that individual (Elango et al., 2010). Corporate/organizational ethics. Just as individuals create and develop their own ethical standards, groups of individuals may also develop a shared sense of what is considered ethical. Many literary works support the idea that the culture of an organization, including the belief systems, have a profound influence on an employee’s thinking and ultimately on his/her professional behavior (Elango et al., 2010). The ethical behavior of an organization is defined by the corporate culture. Racelis (2009) defines corporate culture as the â€Å"assumptions, beliefs, goals, knowledge and values that are shared by organizational members† (p. 252). The culture of an organization defines the behavior patterns of the employees, profoundly influencing their actions and choices in a given situation. Much research is focused on studying the relationship between corporate ethical values and an individual’s personal ethical values. Elango et al. (2010) hypothesized that employees will have greater ethical intentions if they perceive a high level of organizational ethics. The findings of the study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicated that there was a significant relationship between organizational ethics and an individual’s ethical intentions, supporting the notion that organizations could build an ethical business by focusing on creating a positive ethical culture. Likewise, a study conducted by Racelis (2010) also concluded that there is an interaction between individual ethical perceptions and values and the organization’s value systems, providing â€Å"evidence to the theory that an organization’s ideology and culture is indeed likely to shape decision-making and action in that organization† (p. 257). Managerial Ethics An important aspect of business ethics is managerial ethics, which refers to  the decisions, actions, and behaviors of mangers and whether they are considered right or wrong (Daft, 2013). Individuals in positions of management must make the decision every day whether or not to act in an ethical manner. As discussed earlier, deciding what is considered right or wrong ethically, is not always black and white. Many times managers find themselves pushing the limits and entering the grey area of ethics. De Cremer and de Bettignies (2013) explain that in the business environment there are many implicit expectations and norms that motivate managers and ultimately may push them to cross the boundaries and behave unethically. Many times competiveness and greed could push managers into the ethical grey area. According to De Cremer and de Bettingnies (2013), â€Å"This attitude of pushing the limits effectively clouds our own moral limits and, as a result, increases the chances that we eventually will cross the boundaries† (p. 65). Many managers believe if they are not doing anything illegal, than they are acting ethically. This is not always the case; therefore, it is important for managers to understand the difference between laws and ethical standards. Once managers have a fair understanding of what is considered appropriate ethical behavior, they can focus on making good ethical decisions for the organization. Relationship between laws and ethical standards. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) explain that laws are rules of conduct set by a governing body that either requires or prohibits individuals or businesses from performing certain actions. Failure to comply with the set laws may result in punishments such as financial penalties and/or imprisonment. As mentioned previously, it is not uncommon for individuals to believe that if they are operating within the boundaries of the law, then they are behaving ethically. Unfortunately, there are many actions that may be considered legal, but are not considered ethical. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) supports this notion stating that usury (charging high interest rates in countries that do not set a legal limit on rates) is a good example of a behavior that is legal but also considered unethical. Business managers must attempt to understand the relationship and differences between laws and ethics if they wish to help implement ethics within their organization. Managers are often times aware of the laws and regulations because they are formally written and failure to comply  with them will result in some sort of sanctioned punishment, whereas ethical standards are socially construed and failure to comply with these standards is not always punishable under state or federal sanctions. Cameron (2011) explains that ethical standards do not always serve as adequate fixed points for managers because they â€Å"often change over time and circumstance† thus they â€Å"frequently to do not remain stable because they are socially construed† (p. 30). Although laws and regulations are different than ethical standards, managers need to understand how the two can be integrated and used within their organization to help build a solid ethical foundation. Blodgett (2012) acknowledges that many philosophers and legal scholars have attempted to explain the complicated relationship that exists between laws and ethics and although it is still not easily understood, it is evident that there is indeed a connection between the two. A study conducted by Blodgett (2012) explored the idea of â€Å"substantive ethics† (an integration of law and ethics) and how it could be applied to corporate governance as well as the managerial decision-making process. This idea of substantive ethics and how it could be integrated into the formal corporate structure is discussed in greater depth later in this paper. Ethical decision making. One of the major tasks of a manger is to make decisions. The decisions they make not only reflect back on them as an individual, but on the organization as well. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the decisions of managers have a far greater impact on the world today as compared to years ago since technology has allowed for the inter-connection of economies. They go on to explain that a poor decision by a manger in one part of the world can have dramatic consequences for people in another part of the world (Oates & Dalmau, 2013). It is obvious that good decision making is an important part of organizational success. What factors control or influence managerial decision making? Findings of a study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicate that both individual ethics and organizational ethics played a role in guiding managers into making ethical choices. This means that managers are influenced by their own ethical values and experiences as well as the ethical standards, practices and procedures discerned in their workplace. These findings were also supported by the study conducted by Racelis (2010) which indicated that an  organization’s culture plays an instrumental role in the decision making process. Oates and Dalmau (2013) explain that ethical decision making is not solely about ensuring that a manger’s decision will not have an adverse affect on others, it also requires that those in positions of management actively look to make decisions that will benefit others. Choosing to make ethical decisions on a daily basis has proven a difficult task for many managers. Managers are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Mihelic et al. (2010) review various literary works regarding the topic of ethical leadership and identify an important concept stating that ethical managers â€Å"incorporate ethical dimension in the decision-making process, consider the ethical consequences of their decisions and above all try to make fair choices† (p. 33). Corporate Social Responsibility A topic that is closely related and intertwined with the concept of business ethics is corporate social responsibility (CSR). Low and Ang (2013) explain that each organization may have their own definition of CSR; however, each of the definitions seems to share common ground and themes. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2000) offers the following definition of CSR: Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. (as cited in Low & Ang, 2013, p. 33). As evident from this detailed definition, CSR plays an instrumental part in the ethical arena of a business. Benn, Todd and Pendleton (2010) theorize that although the concept of CSR is to benefit the society at large, the underlying reason for an organization to implement CSR strategies is to satisfy stakeholder expectations. The authors explain that corporate scandals, fraud and an increase awareness of environmental, social and health concerns has led many stakeholders to lose credibility in corporations (Benn et al., 2010). Low and Ang (2013) emphasize that many external stakeholders are beginning to take a more thorough interest in the activities of an organization by concentrating on not only what the company has done with its products and/or services, but also on how the company has  impacted the environment or local community. As a way to rebuild credibility and satisfy the interests of stakeholders, many organizations are using CSR strategies that seek to create a positive impact on society. Regardless of the motivation behind implementing the CSR strategies, many scholars agree that in order to implement successful CSR policies, organizations need to have a strong ethical foundation (Low & Ang, 2013; Benn et al., 2010). An empirical study conducted by Benn et al. (2010) provided strong evidence that corporate leadership and structure play an instrumental role in embedding CSR strategies and policies across the organization. Thus, since business ethics and CSR are intrinsically intertwined it is imperative that one understands how ethics and CSR could be incorporated within an organization through leadership, formal structures, and systems. Implementing Business Ethics through Leadership Now that the construct of business ethics has been defined and explained, focus needs to be placed on how leadership could be instrumental in strengthening or implementing business ethics within an organization’s culture. Just as there are several different definitions for ethics, there are also many definitions and interpretations of leadership. Noriega and Drew (2013) cite several different definitions of leadership before ultimately arriving at a generalized definition that states â€Å"leadership deals with persuading, inspiring, motivating others, and spearheading useful changes† (p. 34). Likewise, Mihelic et al. (2010) emphasize that the role of a leader is to help direct the behavior of his/her followers toward a desired goal. There are many different types and methods of leadership that allow leaders to accomplish their goals and objectives. The main focus of this paper is on value-based and ethical leadership and how these types of leadership are instrumental i n promoting ethical behavior among employees within their organization. Value-Based and Ethical Leadership Ethics had previously been described as a body of knowledge concerning itself with moral principles that govern the behavior of individuals. Leadership was defined as the act of persuading or influencing individuals toward a desired goal. Therefore, by combining these two definitions, Oates  and Dalmau (2013) derived the following simple definition for ethical leadership: â€Å"the art of helping, guiding, and influencing people to achieve a common goal in a morally acceptable way† (p. 38). Similarly, Busch and Wennes (2012) explain that value-based leadership focuses on two primary leadership dimensions: 1) ensuring the visibility and meaningfulness of values and 2) generating moral engagement within an organization. Although many scholars argue that value-based leadership and ethical leadership are synonymous, Morrison and Mujtaba (2010) review various studies that acknowledge that while the two types of leadership do tend to overlap, there are also major differences that cannot be ignored. Brown and Trevino stress that one significant difference between the two is that â€Å"ethical leadership focuses on the content of the values† while value-based leadership tends to ignore the content, focusing instead on the sharing of values between the leader and followers (as cited in Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Taking this into consideration it could be construed that effective ethical leaders are also influential value-based leaders that inspire and enable their followers to make the right choices and adopt the same ethical values embraced by the leader. Viinamaki (2012) supports this idea, explaining that value-based leaders carry the responsibilities of setting ethical goals and standards, rewarding those that achieve the desired outcome of ethical conduct, and penalizing anyone that strays from the set ethical values and standards. In order to comprehend the role ethical and value based leadership plays in business ethics, it is essential that one first understands why there is a need for ethical leadership and is able to identify the characteristics of an effective and influential ethical leader. Need for value-based and ethical leaders. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the need for ethical leadership is most evident is situations where it is absent. Recent corporate scandals such as the collapse of Enron and Arthur Andersen has shed light on the issues of corruption, power and greed revealing that these conditions could wreak havoc on organizations that do not have strong ethical leaders. According to Noriega and Drew (2013), in today’s high-pressured business environment, organizations would find it difficult to meet daily challenges and overcome obstacles if they lacked ethical leadership. The authors explain that more attention has been  focused on ethical leadership because individuals, particularly company stakeholders, are more aware of unethical practices and seek for a way to achieve managerial accountability (Noriega & Drew, 2013). When detailing why value-based leadership was important in organizations, Viinamaki (2012) explains â€Å"values are a m eans of influencing behaviors without the need to resort to formal structures, systems, strategies, or control mechanisms† (p. 29). Characteristics of ethical leaders. There are many traits and qualities that characterize strong ethical leaders. Mihelic et al. (2010) write â€Å"a strong character plays an important role in effective self-leadership and in the process of leading others† (p. 35). The most common traits that scholars have attributed to ethical leaders are integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). These three traits are necessary in order to build trusting relationships with followers offering credibility and consistency. Other characteristics of ethical leaders include: responsible, fair, humble, encouraging and respectful of others, shows concern for greater good, innovative and courageous (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). Mihelic et al. (2010) explain that in addition to the above characteristic traits it is crucial that ethical leaders embody the following five values: pride, patience, prudence, persistence and perspective. An ethical leader should also use values-based leadership to emphasize and strengthen these ethical values within the organizational structure. Finally, Noriega and Drew (2013) emphasize that high regard of human worth and dignity are at the core of an ethical leader’s belief system. All the decisions and actions are made in accordance with the beliefs and actions of the ethical leader. Role of ethical leadership in business ethics. By definition, leaders persuade or influence their followers toward a desired goal. One of the main goals of ethical and values-based leadership is to motivate their followers to share and embody the same ethical values that they themselves are portraying. A majority of scholars are in agreement that the ethical conduct of an organization is primarily influenced by the leaders who are also responsible for creating and enforcing the codes of conduct to be  followed by the employees (Mihelic et al., 2010). In order for ethical leadership to be successful within an organization, all leaders, especially those that hold senior leadership positions must be committed to the ethical principles they profess and more importantly they must also exemplify these principles through their own actions (Wickham & Donohue). The relationship of a leader and follower could be compared to that of a parent and a child. A child is likely to follow and imitate the actions of the parent, performing in a manner that will likely receive the parent’s approval. Parents wishing to teach their child how to behave properly will want to be a good role model for that child by modeling the desired behavior. Likewise, leaders need to be role models for their employees. Employees who see their leaders modeling the desired ethical behavior will be more likely to act in the same manner, which helps the behavior and ethical principles become a strong part of the corporate culture. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) support this theory stating â€Å"Leadership, both formal and informal, in the firm needs to be perceived as ‘walking the walk’ as much as ‘talking the talk’ of ethical decision-making and behavior† (p. 23) with internal employees as much as external customers and stakehold ers. Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems Creating an ethical business requires that ethics be incorporated into all aspects of the organization. Not only must leaders and employees practice ethical principles, but ethics must be built into the organizational structure. Part of implementing ethics within the organizational structure starts with making sure that ethical leadership begins at the top of the organization and then flows down through all levels of the hierarchy (Oates & Dalmau, 2013O. It was briefly mentioned earlier that a major role of an ethical leader was to enforce the code of conduct that would guide employee behavior within the organization. Creating a code of conduct that emphasizes the important ethical principles the organization wishes to portray is one of several ways ethics could be integrated into an organization. It would also prove beneficial to incorporate ethics into corporate governance laws and policies, particularly by implementing and enforcing a code of ethics. According to Oates and Dalmua (2013), it is necessary for the ethical values and standards to be â€Å"articulated in the  wider context of the organization, society, culture and regulations† (p. 40). Once a solid foundation for business ethics is laid within the structure, organizations need to make sure they implement polices and programs that will continue to help teach and enforce good ethical behavior. Corporate Structure and Ethics Oates and Dalmua (2013) also claim â€Å"Ethical leadership starts at the top, with the company’s board of directors†¦above all, it must be present in the CEO† (p. 40). This is an important notion for implementing business ethics because if ethical leadership does not start at the highest level of management and work its way down, it is highly unlikely that it would be possible to fully integrate ethics within the organizational corporate culture. In addition to instituting ethical leadership at all levels of management, an experimental study conducted by Ellman and Pezanis-Christou (2010) revealed that the decision-making structures of organizations also have a significant effect on the ethical behavior of employees. The study provided evidence to support the theory that subordinates within an organization who were given a voice in the decision making process felt more responsible for the actions of the organization and were thus more inclined to exhibit better ethical behavior than when they were not given a say in the decision-making process (Ellman & Pezanis-Christou, 2010). Therefore, as this study indicates, open communication between leaders and subordinates is a key concept in the ethical implementation process. As discussed earlier, CSR continues to be a popular topic that aligns itself with discussions on business ethics. A major focus of CSR is on creating a sense of shared value between the business, its shareholders, and society. Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) explain that â€Å"from a shared value viewpoint, companies must integrate a social perspective into the core frameworks that they use to understand competition and develop business strategy† (p. 562). In other words, companies need to be sure that they are using an effective business model that will help support their CSR strategies and achieve shared value. Business models refer to the design of a business in regards to how it will create, deliver and capture value (Michelini & Fiorentino, 2011). The research conducted by Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) compared  and contrasted the social and inclusive business models in reference to how they each allow an organization to achieve their goal of shared value. Codes of Ethics It has been stressed that the actions of those in positions of leadership helps to institute ethical behavior in employees. Although this is true, actions are not the only resource that should be used to communicate management’s expectations of proper ethical behavior. Racelis (2010) places emphasis on the fact that individuals are more likely to feel like a vital part of an organization and will more strongly associate themselves with the mission of the company if the organization’s shared perceptions and values are clearly defined. Often times to accomplish this objective, organizations will develop a corporate code of ethics or code of conduct. Blodgett (2012) explains that corporate ethics codes are self-selected statements of laws and ethics that communicate the values and expressions of a corporation. Many corporate ethics codes incorporate the universal business ethical values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, fairness and trust; but they also may contain legal compliance statements to address general business concerns (Blodgett, 2012). It has been proposed by Blodgett (2012) that integrating general laws and procedures into a corporate code of ethics will help businesses see the ethical value in obeying laws and also help them understand that they have a broader responsibility than just strictly following legal laws. Overall, Noriega and Drew (2013) reiterate that ethical codes of conduct are structured by members of senior management and should seek to clarify company expectations, assist employees in the decision-making process and foster appropriate ethical behavior. Programs and Other Policies to Enforce Ethical Behavior In addition to creating a corporate code of ethics and communicating them to all employees within the organization, managers must also find ways to promote, teach, and enforce these ethical principles. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) suggest that in order to build an ethically intelligent organization, an organization must develop HRM strategies, polices and procedures that center on recruiting, developing, and retaining employees that embody  cognitive, moral, social and emotional intelligence. A focus need to be put on learning how to develop and retain ethically motivated employees. Trapp (2011) shares that organizations could help endure ethical behavior through various business ethics programs such as workshops and e-training. A study by Trapp (2011) revealed that employees were more prone to embrace ethical standards when they were given the opportunity to openly voice their concerns and address the ethical grey areas they may encounter. Organizations can offer open forums or have ethical help hotlines where employees can openly communicate with others when they are faced with ethical dilemmas or areas of grey. Benefits of Ethical Organizations Although many businesses are feeling the push from their stakeholders to run their business on ethically sound principles, ethical business have seen many advantages and benefits as a result of instituting ethical behavior. Some of these benefits may include: increased employee satisfaction and productivity, increased and sustainable profitability, improved social status, and customer/shareholder loyalty and appreciation (Wickham & O’Donohue, 2012). According to Morrison and Mujtaba (2010), companies that follow unethical practices and are managed by unethical leaders diminish and destroy shareholder value due to the high cost associated with unethical actions such as fines and penalties, audit costs and costs associated with loss of customers and reputation; whereas, leaders that operate highly ethical corporations are able to increase shareholder. A positive correlation has been found between a firm’s investment in CSR and an increase in shareholder wealth (Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Finally, not only did the collapse of many prominent business due to unethical behavior result in a loss of credibility between stakeholders and businesses, it also resulted in governmental interference and the passage of laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). He and Ho (2010) explained that this law â€Å"introduced significant reform in the corporate governance, accounting, auditing, and reporting environment of publicly traded firms† (p. 624). Compliance with SOX has proven costly for many organizations. He and Ho (2010) believe that organizations led by ethical leaders who institute proper ethical standards and practices do not need to  invest in expensive monitoring programs because they could meet governmental regulations in a more efficient manner with minimal monitoring. Conclusion and Recommendations Organizations continue to be confronted with increased ethical challenges as leaders are continually tempted to exchange ethical behavior for increased money and power. Individuals in society continue to be appalled by the number of large and powerful corporations that have collapsed and fallen due to corporate fraud and scandal. This has led many stakeholders to become skeptical of business operations, leading them to demand an incorporation of ethics into every day business practices. Corporations wishing to satisfy this new expectation and regain the confidence and trust of not only external stakeholders but if their own employees must seek to find ways to implement business ethics within their organizational culture. Ethics is a complex construct to interpret and understand. Each individual has his/her own opinion regarding what constitutes good ethical behavior. There is no single definition for ethics, although most of the definitions provided by scholars revolve around common themes. Regardless of the debate about what truly constitutes ethics, there is a strong consensus that an indisputable need for ethics exists inside organizations. For this reason, there is much focus placed on ethics and how it pertains to business throughout literary works. Scholars continue to research and conduct various studies regarding the best way to institute ethics within an organization. Much of this literature was reviewed and evaluated to identify common themes that existed among the works. The literature includes explanations of various studies that provide support showing it is possible for organizations to meet the ethical expectations of the stakeholders by instituting strong ethical leadership within the organizations from the top down. These ethical leaders need to possess the important ethical qualities of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness and should practice the ethical behavior they profess, serving as exemplary role models for their followers. In addition, these ethical leaders are responsible for creating and enforcing formal policies and programs within their organization that place emphasis on the ethical values and standards  the business desires to convey. These formal structures include implementing and communicating a corporate code of ethics for the organizations and instituting programs that will help educate and develop the employees in r egards to the ethical standards and values. Organizations that are successfully able institute ethical leadership and use it to build a strong ethical foundation find that ethics inevitably become a part of the organizational culture. Ethical companies create shared value between the business, shareholders and society through CSR initiatives. Highly ethical organizations also see that their ethical practices benefit them through increased employee satisfaction and productivity, customer and shareholder appreciation, increased sustainable profitability, and social status. A detailed review of the literature on ethics reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. Since it appears that ethical leadership is the key to integrating ethical behavior within an organization, more studies should be conducted to determine the best approaches for leaders to do this. Leadership is all about persuasion and influence. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. References Benn, S., Todd, L. R., & Pendleton, J. (2010). Public relations leadership in corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(3), 403-423. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0474-5 Blodgett, M. (2011). Substantive ethics: Integrating law and ethics in corporate ethics programs. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(1), 39-48. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1165-6 Busch, T., & Wennes, G. (2012). Changing values in the modern public sector: The need for value-based leadership. The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 8(4), 201-215. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17479881211323599 Cameron, K. (2011). Responsible leadership as virtuous leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(1), 25-35. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1023-6 Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization theory & design. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. De Cremer, D. and de Bettignies, H.-C. (2013), Pragmatic business ethics. Business Strategy Review, 24(2), 64–67. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8616.2013.00950.x/pdf Elango, B., Paul, K., Kundu, S. K., & Paudel, S. K. (2010). Organizational ethics, individual ethics, and ethical intentions in international decision-making. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(4), 543-561. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0524-z Ellman, M., & Pezanis-Christou, P. (2010). Organizational structure, communication, and group ethics. The American Ec onomic Review, 100(5), 2478-2491. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.5.2478 Ethic – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2014). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic Keller-Krawczyk, L. (2010). Is business ethics possible and necessary? Economics & Sociology, 3(1), 133-142,149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1038947534?accountid=12085 He, L., & Ho, S. K. (2011). Monitoring costs, managerial ethics and corporate governance: A modeling approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(4), 623-635. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0672-1 Low, P. K. C., & Ang, S. L. (2013). Confucian ethics, governance and corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(4), 30-43. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1327711156?accountid=12085 Michelini, L., & Fiorentino, D., (2012). New business models for creating shared value, Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4 ), 561-577. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/journals.htm?articleid=17058148 Mihelic, K. K., Lipicnik, B., & Tekavcic, M. (2010). Ethical leadership. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(5), 31-41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/819649567?accountid=12085 Morrison, H., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2010).

Parvana’s life in Afghanistan Essay

In â€Å"The Breadwinner† Parvana’s rights are being violated. She has the right to go to school and get an education. She has the right to go to court to defend people. She has the right to freedom and many other rights, but nearly all of her rights are being violated by the Taliban. I wonder how Parvana deals with it? This essay will be about some of the rights that are violated in Afghanistan, the right for an education, the right to go to court and the right for freedom. The right for an education is violated. My first quote to help me give evidence that is on pages 10-11 â€Å"it wasn’t her fault she wasn’t in school! She would rather be there too. † This quote represents that the right for an education is violated because she wants to go to school, but the Taliban has forbidden girls to go to school. My second quote is found on page 11 â€Å"when they first took over the capital city of Kabul and forbade girls to go to school, Parvana was terribly unhappy. I think this quote means that the Taliban forbid girls to go to school so they are the smartest so it is easier to take over the whole of Afghanistan. The right for freedom is violated. The first example to show evidence is on page 22 â€Å"the Taliban has said we must stay inside, but that doesn’t mean we have to live in filth. † I think this quote gives a good example because it shows that they are demanded to stay inside. My second piece of evidence is on page 7-8 â€Å"For more than a year now, they had all been stuck inside one room, along with five-year-old Maryam and two-year-old Ali. I think this quote shows that the family’s freedom is violated because they have to stay inside because they are girls. Parvana’s right to go to court is violated. On page 31 a quote helps me give evidence that Parvana’s family can’t go to court. â€Å"Parvana watched hopelessly as two soldiers dragged him down the stairs. † I think this quote shows clear evidence because it shows that they just take him and don’t give information or when he will be released or anything. My second quote is found on page 30 â€Å"two of the soldiers grabbed her father. The other two began searching the apartment, kicking the remains of dinner all over the mat. † This means that the Taliban don’t give any information about when they can go to court to defend their father so he doesn’t need to go to jail, and they just storm in and do whatever they want. The Taliban also like to suppress people. Parvana deals with the rights in many ways. Girls could not go to school or be outside, so she disguised herself as a oy. She could not go to court to defend her father so she went to the prison to get her father back with her mom, but they were beat up. Parvana did not have the right for freedom so she disguised herself as a boy. â€Å"The Breadwinner† was a nice and emotional story about her life in Afghanistan and how she deals with her father being put in jail and the rights being violated. Parvana dealt with some of the rights, such as the right to go to court, the right for an education and the right for freedom.

Machines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Machines - Essay Example There are other factors beside the physical limitations of human body; these factors include emotions and moods of human beings. Such factors are not in the control of human beings nor can the machines be developed to suit the mood and emotions of the individual who operate them. We can easily observe that in scenarios where machines are manually operated by the humans the maximum efficiencies achieved are not more than 75 to 80 percent however in case of automated machines where machines are operated by humans with the help of other machines the efficiencies achieved can be as high as 99 percent in some of the cases (Kroemer, Kroemer & Kroemer-Elbert, 2001). So when we analyze the prospects of creating machines according to the limitations of human beings, in addition to the physical limitations, emotional limitations should also be considered however incorporating the emotional limitations is very difficult and requires concepts like artificial intelligence to be integrated into th e machines.

Sexual and Urologic problems in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Essay

Sexual and Urologic problems in patients with Type 1 Diabetes - Essay Example It occurs due to a combination of peripheral resistance to insulin action and an inadequate secretory response by the beta cells. Both types of diabetes are associated with similar complications. However, since the onset of hyperglycemia earlier in type- 1 diabetes, complications are more severe and occur at a much early age than those with diabetes type-2. Diabetes results in several complications, the most important of which are neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy. There are several other complications which impact the quality of life like sexual and urologic complications. Sexual and urologic problems are common in diabetes population because of the damage to blood vessels and nerves. In this essay, sexual and urologic complications in diabetes, especially diabetes type-1 will be discussed. Insulin is an essential anabolic hormone secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans. It is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats (Lamb, 2009). The hormone helps entry of the glucose into muscles by stimulating the conversion of glucose to glycogen and by inhibiting liver gluconeogenesis. It also slows the breakdown of fat and protein. In type-1 diabetes, there is either absence, destruction or loss of beta cells leading to inadequate insulin production. This causes uninhibited gluconeogenesis and at the same time decreases the use and storage of glucose, resulting in hyperglycemia. Beyond a certain limit, kidneys fail to absorb glucose resulting in glycosuria, osmotic diuresis, dehydration and thirst. The protein and fat breakdown also increase causing increased ketone production and weight loss. Without appropriate insulin supplementation and management, individuals with diabetic ketoacidosis lose weight continuously and eventually succumb to diabetic ketoacidosis (Lamb, 2009). Diabetes type-1 is associated with

My Teaching Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Teaching Philosophy - Essay Example As such, there are a number of things needed in order to facilitate effective teaching and learning. Among the areas of concern are flexibility, knowledge ability and the global orientation. To begin with, flexibility is of critical importance in order to be successful in teaching and learning. Flexibility is the ability of changing from an ordinary course to a more effective course in order to meet the demands of a system. Flexibility is important since it allows the trainer or the teacher to deal with a number of problems that might deter the learners from achieving the best if things were to be done the way they have been done before. This is achieved through cognitive flexibility. (Chieu, 2007, p. 33). Students also get the most out of a flexible learning system since issues that are a hindrance to their better understanding are dealt with when the teacher is flexible. Secondly, flexibility allows for learning of new skills and strategic deviation from the old ways of doing things. This eventually leads to a well skilled team of learners that are able to effectively compete within the educational system, since cognitive issues are individually based. (Palincsar, 199 8, p. 346). Thirdly, flexibility acts as a motivation to learners since it facilitates the introduction of new things that act as novel stimuli. (Casey & Wilson, 2012, p. 82). For instance, new techniques in dealing with problems Mathematical problems can be adopted. Being knowledgeable is also important in effective teaching. The teacher ought to be knowledgeable about the subject he or she is teaching in order to effectively impart the same skills on the learner. Being knowledgeable about what one is doing is of great importance in a number of ways. Firstly, being knowledgeable creates a leeway of better teaching methodologies. (Metzler & Woessmann, 2010, p. 2). A Knowledgeable teacher will know